RSJ News
Think Tankers offer new models
03-05-2009
Jennifer Carroll, vice president of Gannett's new media content, offers up new plans to engage audiences.
(The Think Tank presentation began with a viewing of the online video, "Did you know?")
By Robin Bigda and Jennifer Luna
After two days in a “think tank,” more than a dozen media professionals leaked ideas about the future of journalism Thursday at the University of Nevada, Reno. The audience listened to three possible business models that could increase public engagement with the news.
“We had to change our questions from what is journalism and why it is important to what do people want and what do people need,” Alex Grishaver, an IDEO senior interaction designer, said.
With guidance from the innovative design firm IDEO, leaders of various media organizations from across the country revealed their ideas about what the journalism business may look like in 10 years.
“Journalism desperately needs to redefine itself,” said David Calvert, UNR journalism graduate and freelance photographer. “If journalism doesn’t start looking toward the future and redefine their business models, a competitor will swoop in and beat them out. The best way is to beat ourselves to it.”
During the brainstorming, ideas ranged from tame to the outlandish.
The first business model presented was based on partnerships with companies such as Starbucks and Wal-Mart. The focus of this plan would be to encourage people to engage in news by blogging, writing and participating in their community.
Customers would receive a card from the company and use it to access online media. Points would be earned for time spent viewing the news and exchanged for goods.
The second business model, MyMinutes.com, revolved around the premise of a person choosing how much time they want to spend with the news each day. One could download the news to an iPod, print a PDF, get six minutes of Twitter updates a day or get messages sent to on Facebook.
Points would be received for participation. People may go to MyMinutes because they want to get enough points for a meeting with the mayor, but they are still actively participating in the community while doing it.
Jay Balagna, assistant news editor for the Nevada Sagebrush, questioned this model’s effectiveness.
“My only concern with this model is that it may trivialize news,” Balagna said.
A third business model was based on the idea that anyone can be a journalist. It uses citizen journalism without putting professionals out of work. Professional journalists can contract themselves out for stories when needed but every citizen can be a part of the news.
“This model allows the community to identify meaningful news and address problems that need reporting,” said Mike Higdon, a Reynolds School of Journalism student.
Professional journalists might not be reporting for a living in this model. They would be training the community and doing freelance work for supplemental income.
The panel encouraged students to care about the future of journalism and to think about it in new and innovative ways.
“We wanted to shake you out of your normal trajectory,” said Dwayne Spradlin of InnoCentive.com. “We want to knock you out of your traditional orbit.”
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